Rt Hon Winston Peters
Deputy Prime Minister
Minister of Foreign Affairs

New Zealand and India have discussed their enhanced relationship across a broad range of domains, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.

“New Zealand and India have agreed that we can and should be doing more together,” Mr Peters says.

“Both countries have worked hard over the last 18 months to bring energy, focus and deeper practical cooperation to the relationship.”

While in New Delhi, Mr Peters held official talks and had a working dinner with India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

“This has been an excellent opportunity to take stock of the progress we have made over the past year-and-a-half, while also discussing the pressing regional and global challenges our countries face,” Mr Peters says.

“New Zealand and India have a shared interest in promoting a stable, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. My discussions with Minister Jaishankar and have been invaluable in understanding Indian perspectives on recent events and charting our course for enhanced bilateral cooperation.”

Mr Peters noted that, over the past 18 months, New Zealand and India had made concrete steps towards closer engagement across a wide range of domains, including defence and security, trade and economic cooperation, science and technology and sport.

While in New Delhi, Mr Peters also had meetings with the President of the Bharatiya Janata Party, JP Nadda, and the Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi; and delivered a speech about New Zealand’s strengthening ties with South and South East Asia under the Foreign Policy Reset.

His visit to India concluded a four-country tour which also included trips to Australia, Sri Lanka and Nepal.

“New Zealand’s strategic and economic interests are inextricably tied to the Indo-Pacific, including South Asia. It is crucial that we continue to invest in and strengthen our relationships here,” Mr Peters says.

“This week has also highlighted the quality of our relationships in South Asia, characterised by rich people-to-people connections, a common desire to do more together, and shared perspectives on the challenges facing our region.”

During the first half of this Parliamentary term (from December 2023 to May 2025), Mr Peters has visited 45 countries and spent 154 days overseas on official visits.

Mr Peters returns to New Zealand later today (31 May).

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